One Week until Christmas…

Christmas in India is definitely a change from the everyday.  There is a distinct lack of lights and Christmas decorations adorning the houses and office buildings; no Christmas carols playing in the streets; and no Santa Claus sitting in the nearest multiplex.

It’s understandable, really.  After all, Diwali (Nov 1st) is the Indian version of Christmas and New Years rolled into one.  Sure, the multinational company stores are decorated, but there is that lack of a “festive atmosphere,” so to speak.  We’ve done our best to find decorations (a long and exhaustive search), so the house is starting to cheer us up.  However, I think I speak for the trainees here when I say that something is missing.  Snow? Carols? Christmas Pudding?

One of the common complaints about Christmas is that it’s too commercial (sales spikes on the toy companies’ earnings graphs make that pretty obvious).  Not here.  In fact, it’s one of the unlikely positives of an Indian Christmas: retailers don’t try to take advantage of the holiday (they do this at Diwali time).  Ironically enough, maybe it’s the commercialization that does bring out the Christmas spirit in many of us.  Not necessarily the gift giving part, but just seeing Christmas everywhere we look.